DARWIN AND PALEONTOLOGY 239 



tain conditions become an initiative or leading 

 factor; second, that in complex organisms one 

 factor may at the same time he initiative to an- 

 other 'group of characters, the inseparable action 

 bringing about a continuously harmonious result. 



This inseparableness of internal processes (he- 

 redity and ontogeny) and external processes 

 (selection and environment) is not surprising 

 when we reflect that it must have existed from 

 the very beginnings of the organic world. 



Thus hypotheticaUy the origins of certain new 

 characters in heredity may find expression not 

 spontaneously, or irrespective of conditions, or 

 from self -operating internal mechanical causes, 

 but through some unknown and at present en- 

 tirely inconceivable relation between heredity 

 (the germ-ceUs), ontogeny or habit and use (the 

 somatic cells), environment or external condi- 

 tions, and selection. This does not preclude 

 spontaneous origins. 



Prolonged analysis and synthesis of the evolu- 

 tion processes of the various kinds which led to 

 the enunciation of the above law only served to 

 convince me that certain adaptive origins are im- 

 mediately matters of heredity whatever their in- 

 itiation may be in the circle of ontogenetic or 

 environmental causes. We have to do with a 

 potential of similar mutations or rectigradations 

 independently. 



Here we find ourselves expanding a principle 

 which was clearly foreshadowed by Darwin, and 



